An investigative report recently published by the conservative-leaning nonprofit Parents Defending Education found that millions of dollars associated with the Chinese government have been poured into public education in the United States.
At issue have been the Chinese-backed Confucius Institutes that have largely been confined to institutions of higher education, which multiple American organizations — including the American Association of University Professors, the State Department, the FBI, the Department of Education, and the National Association of Scholars — have criticized for allegedly propagandizing in defense of the Chinese government.
Parents Defending Education claims that the “People’s Republic of China fostered relationships with American K-12 schools through grants, sister school partnerships, and other programming since at least 2009,” alleging that it discovered affiliations at 143 schools, seven of which are “still active.”
One of the “active” affiliations is apparently with Highland Park ISD. According to the organization’s report:
“On September 7, 2022, the Highland Park Independent School District received $12,369.93 in grant funding from International Leadership of Texas Global for ‘the purpose of supporting Highland Park Middle School’s LOTE Department Chinese Course Curriculum.’ In addition to the middle school grant, the district received $2,004.94 in funding from the International Leadership of Texas Global in support of the high school’s ‘Chinese course curriculum.'”
The report further alleges that Highland Park High School “received a $10,000 grant from the Confucius Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas … to be used ‘in support of [the campus’] Confucius Classroom 2018 Annual Operation Funds.'”
Highland Park Middle School also received a grant from the same Confucius Institute, totaling $20,000, according to Parents Defending Education.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) discussed banning individuals linked to the Chinese government from participating in curricula design during its April meeting.
“Has an SBOE board ever had a blackout list on who couldn’t participate, such as, maybe, the Confucius Institute or members of the Confucius Institute?” said SBOE Member Julie Pickren (R-Pearland).
While he did not dismiss the proposal outright, SBOE Member Keven Ellis (R-Lufkin) pushed back on the notion.
“We can consider it, but I would really have to understand the purpose. I think if you excluded a certain group, there might be some discrimination that could be alleged,” Ellis said.
Some stakeholders have voiced support for Confucius Institutes, such as Gao Qing, former director of the now-closed Confucius Institute U.S. Center.
“If we really want to cooperate with China, if people can work together to change their countries, we need those people-to-people programs,” he said, reported Inside Higher Ed.
